President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Thursday highlighted his administration’s campaign against hunger by visiting the Walang Gutom Kitchen (WGK) in Pasay City, where he personally served meals to street dwellers and families in crisis.
The facility, which opened in December last year, is the first site under the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) feeding initiative aimed at providing daily hot meals to vulnerable Filipinos.
It caters to about 600 beneficiaries a day, serving breakfast and lunch from Monday to Sunday.
President Marcos, wearing the red apron and cap of WGK volunteers, distributed rice, meat, noodles, soup, vegetables, and fruit to clients of the kitchen before sitting down to share the meal.
Beneficiaries later surprised him with a birthday song, while the DSWD presented him with a cake bearing the program’s logo.
He was accompanied by DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Undersecretary for Innovations Edu Punay, and Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano.
The WGK program was launched to address involuntary hunger, particularly among children and families living on the streets.
Beyond distributing meals, the project also promotes nutrition education and case management to help vulnerable individuals transition into more secure living conditions.
First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos led the distribution of meals when the Pasay kitchen opened in December 2024, signaling what Malacañang has described as a whole-of-government effort to tackle food insecurity.
The visit comes as the administration prepares to expand the Walang Gutom Kitchen model to more urban centers nationwide, part of Mr. Marcos’ broader anti-poverty agenda.
